3 Colts Who Could Contribute More Than You Think

The Indianapolis Colts have started their rookie minicamp, officially kicking off preparations for a critical 2026 season.

Big names like Jonathan Taylor, Alec Pierce, Daniel Jones, DeForest Buckner, Sauce Gardner, and Laiatu Latu are obvious names who must contribute in a massive way for Indianapolis to push for a divisional title and make the playoffs.

However, overlooked names will also need to step up to help the franchise achieve these big-time goals.

In this piece, I'll detail three Colts players who aren't household names who could be leaned upon to contribute more than initially expected.

Let's begin.

Colby Wooden | Defensive Tackle

The Colts acquired defensive tackle Colby Wooden after trading former Pro Bowl linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers. Yes, Wooden's addition is for depth, but there's more to discuss here.

Wooden is coming off a career season with Green Bay. He posted 50 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 16 starts. Indianapolis has Buckner and Grover Stewart as the undisputed starters, but Wooden is bound to see meaningful action.

Buckner and Stewart are the pillars of Indy's defensive tackle position, but Wooden is the immediate rotational piece. He should see plenty of the field for new defensive line coach Marion Hobby in 2026.

Arden Key | Defensive End

The Colts likely want to see more from Jaylahn Tuimoloau in year two, but when they signed Arden Key, it made me think there could be an even distribution of snaps opposite Latu.

However, Key is an eight-year veteran who's been solid as a rotational defensive end, and for all we know, may thrive in a new system with the right opportunity.

Given that the Colts need to win this season, I'd expect Lou Anarumo to give Key more starter snaps.

Don't let his numbers fool you. Former Indy defensive end Samson Ebukam was a similar player to Key, but when he started for Indianapolis in 2023, he had a career year, leading the Colts with 9.5 sacks.

I'd assume if Tuimoloau can develop and ascend, he'll get to see the field more than Key; that remains to be seen from the former Ohio State Buckeye.

But for now, Key appears to be a starter. Even if Tuimoloau starts to earn more playing time, Key will have a vital role for the defensive edge position in Indianapolis.

And, as mentioned about Ebukam before, perhaps this is the scene he needs to put up the best football he's ever played.

Deion Burks | Wide Receiver

Deion Burks fell to the Colts in the seventh round of this year's NFL Draft. Despite his draft tag, there's already an argument that he's the WR3 behind Pierce and Josh Downs.

Burks operated as a kick returner, outside receiver, and slot pass-catcher during his five seasons in college with the Purdue Boilermakers and Oklahoma Sooners.

Burks' incredible speed, strength for his size, and versatility should present him as a weapon for Shane Steichen to use in plenty of ways.

Initially, the perfect free agent fit appeared to be Jauan Jennings. However, now that he's with the Minnesota Vikings, it looks like Burks has the appeal to be the third option in the wide receiver room.

Given that he also has returner experience, he might be able to secure that role from Anthony Gould, which would give him even more prominent exposure.

We'll see how things lay out, but Burks is a deadlier threat to defenses than either Ashton Dulin or Nick Westbrook-Ikhine right away.

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